Lazzzzyyy Horse!!

[Barrelbabe_23]

This is been going on ever since I got her. We ride her and she doesnt go allll...we use a crop and kick she doesnt go.... Is there anything I can do??My friend suggested spurs but we havent tried them yet and I just want to see wat people think I can do before I use sppursss. Not that I dont like spurs its just I want to try something before I spend money on spurss.

She follows other horses when riding and does fine but I cant get her past a trot. I neeeeeedddd HELP!!!

[cherokee_92]

go with the whip like u are. tap her on the shoulder lightly then smack harder n harder as many times as it take till u reach the spead u want. then with some horse's the butt works better then with others you hit the buck button so be aware.lol if ya need help let me know. I might could help u with her one day this summer

[Barrelbabe_23]

OK thanks. Yea I do everything and she just doesnt go...lol. But thanks yea I dont know when I am going to go out there next but ill tell you when thanks sooooo much. I can still use more opions. Thanks Alyssa!!

[Barrelbabe_23]

:) Anybody else??

[alliekk]

She needs to be retrained to know that your smaller, less strong (no offense), legs mean business too. Have an adult or COMPETENT rider get on her and make her move before you try. If she doesn't get going then have the other person get back on. Home it helps.

[HappyHorse13]

I really wouldn't recommend hitting your horse like that to get her to go faster. Sooner or later she will associate the whip/hitting with speed and won't go at all (that's what happened to Seabiscuit).You are speaking of Dolce, correct? She is quite young so she could just be testing you.

It may not be an issue of laziness - the mare could have a case of underlying pain. Check out her hooves, teeth, joints, and back for any sore spots or inflammation before you resort to spurs.

Be careful and I hope she improves :].

[cherokee_92]

I wasn't mean beat her happyhorse13, you have to get the moving some how , first use your legs with more pressure each time. eventualy they sould get the idea and move , but if not a whip is fine, then u can stop using it after they are moving. How old Is patty? Isn't she around 18. What was she used for in the past? We all know you are the smaller one and you want her moving first befor you do. i would recomend some lungeing see if she is moving good and all. ;) I would never want you or anyone to beat a horse, kindness is the way to go, but ya gott do somethin cause just sittin on your pony isn't fun no more when ur a teen.

[StarGirl]

How old is the horse? How long has it been broke?

[Barrelbabe_23]

When we put adults on her she does the same thing. And trust me its not because of me. We've had her for four years and she when we got she didnt do this and now its crazy. On the trail shes fine we canter and stuff. We also just had the vet out so it couldnt be lamness or anything cause the vet didnt say anything so?? Please dont turn this into an arrgument. I am a computent rider....

[ForeverEquine]

She's not saying that you're a bad rider hun but rather asking you to have a more experienced rider go before you... There's nothing wrong with being a beginner to intermediate ride but sometimes horses just need a more experienced pilot.

Personally, what I found worked best for Gambit and other horses in their early training days was to use my seat in concert with adding pressure with my legs. I'd sit deep and then "push" forward with my seat and they'd almost always speed up. I never once had to goose or prod.

[Barrelbabe_23]

See thats what the problem is i am the most experienced rider that has gotten on her ever since i have had her.And when I lunge her she goes one way and then the other?? I dont know.

[Barrelbabe_23]

Yea sorry. she is 17.

[alliekk]

She needs to be retrained to know that your smaller, less strong (no offense), legs mean business too. Have an adult or COMPETENT rider get on her and make her move before you try. If she doesn't get going then have the other person get back on. Home it helps.
What I meant by "competent" is that if an inexperienced rider got on her to fix the "problem" they could end up making it worse or teaching her a new bad habit. I'm sorry, it did sound a little different from what I was thinking at the time. What I meant was someone who knows how to handle a problem like this.

If you're the most experienced rider then have someone walk by her flank and every time you ask her to move forward and she doesn't have the person by her flank pop her with the crop. It's like teaching a horse to trot on the ground only there's someone on board. If you feel like she might want to bolt have someone up by her head in case she does decide to. Whatever you pick as a method to fix the problem just remember that it wont be a quick fix, it'll probably take some time, but she'll get better.

[DixieGirl]

I would first use a dressage whip because sometimes that can give a little more sting than a regular crop but if that dosen't work I would use spurs.

[StarGirl]

She's 17? What all has she been used for in her life?

[ForeverEquine]

Hmm, at 17 she just might not have that pep and vinegar anymore or perhaps even joint pain. At the barn where I used to ride many of the older horses had arthritis and it was hard on them to do anything more than a trot. Several of them were on injections.

Perhaps she's just been there, done that and now just wants to relax a little, lol! I think getting a joint supplement and perhaps a joint examination could give you a bit more insight.

[Ruby Rider]

well... maybe you could try squeezing your legs instead of kicking because some horses get so used to the kick that its like kicking a barrel and kicking sometimes gets you off balance ( i know from experience but that may be just me)

here is what i do when I'm training a 'lazy horse" first i lean forward and squeeze lightly to the count of 4 ( if no response of a foot moving) i squeeze harder and cluck [click your tounge] 4 times (if still no response) i squeeze harder cluck and wiggle the dressage hip; (if no response) squeeze cluck and gently tap them then if no response after that and they are ignoring you whack em good.

if you have got spurs i would use a western rowel spur... nothing fancy just something you can roll up their side...

with a spur would first squeeze with the side of my boot ( no spur) then ( if no response) i would cluck and increase the squeeze pressure , if no response i would then gently press both spurs on the horse's side, if the horse dose not move still then roll the spur up the horses ribs with a fair amount of pressure on each side.

if you don't want to use spurs and you can't get your horse to move get your horse moving all four quarters of there body... you can't move a big log with out wiggling it side to side a little. so i would make my horse to hind quarter turn left and right and front quarter turns left and right, just to keep there feet moving ( who said they had to go in a straight line at first???ha ha :p ) the key is to keep there feet moving and working then straighten them out and squeeze and go thought the first steps i wrote... Always keep them moving, get their mind something to think about.

also another thing i may suggest is if your horse will lunge at a canter ride her while someone else is longeing her at a canter while you give leg cues and the lounger ( the on on the ground) will make it seem as if she is loungeing and add the extra pressure when needed ... make sure you have someone who lounges and works their horse the same way as you


i have a lot more, but i hope this helps

just curious
what discipline do you ride?
i ride western, english, jumping, and i train for trail compatitions

[Barrelbabe_23]

Thanks guys!

Sorry I thought you meant it the other way.



She was a lesson horse and did good. Also my friends sisters friend?? used to jump her.



I do jumping, western and english.

What supplment do you recommend?? Cause my friend uses this stuff called Joint Flex.

[cherokee_92]

Sorry Bri not trying to ask more questions to ya, but what are you feeding her as well? As far as joint stuff Joint flex works great, if you go to a feed store i am sure they would be happy to give you their opinion on the other name brands. I used one kind that was in a red plastic bag with a yellow horse running on it and it worked great on comanchee. Basically you dont have to buy the one with the big price tag for it to work. As for my question the feed she is at the age where senior feed could help. ;)

[StarGirl]

Lesson horse and 17....doesn't sound like laziness to me, sounds like she's tired and possibly arthritic. At 17, most lesson horses end up having arthritis because they were used so much more than the average horse (though it depends on how much they were used, not all lesson horses are overused, I'm just saying...) Definitely put her on a jont supplement. There's one called Hoof & Joint something....it's great, trust me...white bucket with purple and white designs...

[Barrelbabe_23]

Ok thanks. She wasnt used alot. On the trail she is perfectly fine!

[alliekk]

She could just be arena sour. What was she used for as a lesson horse? I'll bet it's not the trail. Maybe it's just time to retire her to a good ol' trail partner.

[Barrelbabe_23]

Yea...I dont even do anything on her though,,...

[Barrelbabe_23]

Well today I went to go see and ride around a little bit bareback and she did GREAT!!!


When I first got her to go all the way around it probaly took me ten minutes to go but after that we were trotting and walking fine!!



I think its becuase usely we have alot of people around and she thinks she is going to get fed or they are going to open the gate and she thinks shes done..

My mom was not feeling good and she wanted to see something so she went to the car and watched me and she finaly went so i think its the people..and when my uncle came to see me ride she didnt want to go!

[cherokee_92]

:p ain't she a smart lil cookie. most of my horses ride better at other arena's then at home. Comanchee putputs around the house when I ride him, I rode him up at Mrs.A and he was like ewww girls I trot and canter pretty for u!lol horses do have minds :D

[Barrelbabe_23]

LOL.




Well I am going to ride her again today soo wish me luck!